Dumpster Diving
by NovaCaine9923
Summary: On a hot day, Sniper discovers a baby girl in a dumpster. Sniper never had any intention of becoming a parent, but...if the shoe fits. (Originally posted on Tumblr, cross-posted from Archive of Our Own.)
1. Chapter 1

Wow, I haven't posted to this account in a while! I've actually missed being on here, and a lot has happened in my life. Anyway, tonight I decided that I'm going to start reposting my Tumblr fanfics here, and who knows? Maybe I'll write some new ones.

Anyway, this is a story that pretty much blew up on Tumblr and AO3, so hopefully you guys like it. This story has a very special place in my heart, and I really hope you all enjoy. Feel free to leave comments, feedback is appreciated.

Dumpster Diving

Chapter 1:

She couldn't have been more than a year old when Sniper found her, curled in that stinking dumpster, writhing and crying out for relief. He'd initially approached the dumpster to dispose of a banana peel but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the baby.

Her pitiful cries snapped him out of his shock, and he sprang into action. He tossed the peel aside without another thought and scooped up the baby in his hands, wrapping her tightly into his coat and holding her close.

Sniper hunted around for about fifteen minutes, hoping he could find a mother or someone else who could help, but this attempt proved fruitless, and he knew he had to be back at the base soon.

He drove back in his van as quickly as he could, keeping the child situated on his lap. She'd mostly stopped crying, but she was visibly still in distress.

Sniper's mind reeled with thoughts as he finally arrived at the base, and he carried the child inside without hesitation.

"Doc?" he called, walking briskly into Medic's doorway. "Doc, ya got a minute?"

Medic beckoned him inside. "Ah, I suppose I can spare a moment for you, Sniper. What seems to be…?" he trailed off when he noticed the child in Sniper's arms, and he gasped, standing up. "Oh, goodness!"

Sniper tensed slightly when Medic took the baby from him, and he couldn't help but watch in concern. "Uh…I found her in a dumpster. I just wanted to know if there was anythin' wrong with her, if she was sick, that kind of thing,"

The baby started to whine again, and Medic only cooed at her. "Oh, there, there, liebe! I'm sure I have some powdered milk for you somewhere," he balanced her in one arm, kneeling down to the cabinets to root through the contents. "Ah, yes! Powdered replacement milk! Perfect,"

"Doc, did you hear what I said?" Sniper spoke up again, a bit irritated that Medic hadn't answered him.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'll do a checkup on her, don't worry!" Medic cradled the baby and grinned down at her as he mixed the powdered contents into some water. "Poor little thing, you are hungry, aren't you? What kind of a nasty mother left you in a dumpster?"

"I didn't see anyone else around," Sniper commented. "She was in the dumpster behind that diner,"

Medic shook his head in disapproval, popping the cup of milk into the microwave. "Ah, makes sense. Some employees probably tried to dispose of her, how dare they! She's very beautiful, why would anyone waste her like that?"

The microwave finished heating the milk, and Medic poured it into a bottle which he then began feeding the baby with. "There we are, isn't that nice?" Medic crooned, observing the baby as she eagerly drank down the milk.

Sniper leaned over Medic's shoulder to watch him feed the baby, and he remarked, "What are we gonna do with her?"

Medic looked up at him, surprised. "You aren't keeping her?"

"Oh," Sniper hadn't thought of that. "Well…we can't keep a baby here. It just wouldn't be right, y'know? I can't imagine raising a lil' biter in conditions like these,"

Medic turned to watch the baby as she continued to eat. "Hm. I suppose that's true. We wouldn't want to risk exposing her to the enemy," he stared fondly at the baby for another moment, before commenting, "Unless…we simply took extra precautions with her so you could adopt her,"

"No, no!" Sniper shook his head. "No, I…I can't adopt a kid. Especially not now, you know that," he cleared his throat. "How about you give her a checkup, I can clean her up, and then we take her to Miss Pauling in the morning, hm?"

Medic processed this as he laid the baby on his shoulder to pat her back, and then he sighed. "All right, I suppose that would be the best decision,"

Sniper nodded. "Yeah. Good. Thanks, doc,"

"Of course,"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Doc said you weren't sick, but that you're a lil' small," Sniper muttered, reaching his hand into the soapy water to test the temperature. "You gotta work on gaining some weight then, hm?" he retracted his hand and then turned his attention to the baby lying naked on the kitchen counter. "Okay—bath time, beastie,"

He eased her into the water, trying his best to be gentle and slow. Once she was submerged in the sink, he began to gingerly clean her with a dishrag. She didn't cry and instead watched in silent fascination as she was washed, her large eyes focusing on the rag and then on Sniper himself. He made eye contact with her, for a moment, and then felt like he had to look away.

"Yo, Snipes?" Scout's voice came from the doorway. "Snipes, you in here?"

"Yeah," Sniper called back, not looking up from the sink.

Scout walked in, glancing over Sniper's shoulder and observing as he washed the infant. There was a long pause, and then Scout remarked, "Doc said you got that from the trash,"

"Yeah," Sniper said again, and then added, "Not like I could have left her there. I mean, I have done my fair share of questionable things, but—"

"I wasn't sayin' you should have left it there!" Scout replied, sounding almost offended that Sniper would even suggest such a thing. "Just…why'd you bring her here? Why didn't ya go to the hospital or somethin'?"

Sniper sighed, lifting the baby from the sink. "I don't…listen, I couldn't spend too much longer there, I had to come back here, I was trying not to be late. Also," he turned over his shoulder to make a face at Scout. "She's not an 'it', boy,'

"All right, sorry," Scout shrugged. "I just didn't know what to call her. Babies are weird, ya know?"

Sniper didn't answer, and he only dried the baby off and bundled her up in a dry towel. She made a cooing sound as Sniper settled her into his arms, and he cracked a small smile down at her.

Scout watched, and then asked, "So…is she your kid, now?"

"Hm?" Sniper glanced up quickly. "Oh! No, no…I'm gonna call Miss Pauling soon, have her come to take the lil' biter to the orphanage or somewhere, I don't know,"

"Are ya sure, dude?" Scout wondered, watching the infant's face. "She really likes you, I think,"

Sniper sighed. "Listen— no way in Hell can we keep a baby on this base. It's too dangerous, and how's a little girl gonna have a childhood like this? It ain't right, I tell ya, it ain't…" he trailed off when he felt a strange pressure on his finger, and he looked down.

She had grabbed his finger, tightly, and now she was staring up at him. Sniper swallowed, blinking. Oh, God…

"Ohhh, I see what you're doin' there, girlie!" Scout crooned at the baby. "You're gettin' all cute so he can't say no to ya, huh? I bet you're gonna get real good at that when you're all grown, aren't ya?"

Sniper suddenly felt a rush of emotions, ones he hadn't felt before, and he stood up, panicking. "Uh-um, I-I have to use the bathroom,"

He hastily laid the baby in Scout's arms, much to Scout's surprise, and then exited without another word.

Scout, unsure of what to do, just stood alone in the kitchen, clutching onto the baby.

The baby began fussing and pitching a fit, and Scout grimaced. "Well, shit. The fuck do I do now?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The sun cast shades of pink and red across the sky as Sniper knelt in the dust, watching the clouds go by. He sighed.

It really hadn't been long, it hadn't been long at all, yet here he was: getting all emotional over a random kid. A kid he found in a dumpster, no less!

It wasn't that he didn't like children, he just figured they were something he'd never have or even want. His line of work wasn't exactly the kind of job he'd want to explain to a kid of his one day, that was for sure. And besides, he never saw himself as the fatherly type; he'd only ever looked after animals…

This little girl he'd found, she couldn't stay with him. Especially not in the middle of nowhere, during the worst possible time. And besides, what if she had family looking for her? Sniper's gut instinct told him that wasn't true, so he dispelled that notion, but it still lingered in his mind.

Keeping a child on base…would it be so bad? Could there be a way to raise an infant in these conditions? Anything was possible, he supposed, but just because it was possible didn't always mean it was the right decision.

Sniper took another long breath, standing up and turning back to the base. He'd left the baby with Scout for too long, and he hoped all was well.

However, when he entered the base, he saw Scout sitting on the couch in the recreation room, watching a baseball game and eating popcorn. The baby wasn't in sight.

"Where the bloody hell is she!?" Sniper spoke up, trying not to sound anxious. "Scout, what'd you do with her?!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Snipes!" Scout snorted, tossing popcorn into his mouth. "Engie's got her,"

Sniper breathed a sigh. "Oh. Okay, where is he?"

"In the workshop," Scout replied. "He's usin' the grossest baby-talk I've ever heard with her, it's disgustin',"

Sure enough, when Sniper headed to the workshop, he heard Engineer's voice cooing out sweet phrases.

"There we go, darlin'!" He crooned as he hunched over the table. "Look at you! Why, aren't you the prettiest lil' dumpling I ever did see!" Engineer straightened up when he heard Sniper behind him, and he looked over his shoulder. "Oh, there you are!"

Sniper glanced in at the baby, and he blinked. "Um…what is she wearing?"

"Oh, that's one of my old socks," Engineer chuckled. "I washed it, don't worry, but I cut some holes for her arms and legs, so she's not naked,"

Sniper picked her up and examined her, noticing that even the sock was a bit big on her. It made her look smaller than before. She didn't seem to mind and just wiggled around while flexing her tiny fingers.

"So, should I call Miss Pauling for ya?" Engie wanted to know. "She can probably get this lil' critter to the authorities by the mornin',"

"Actually," Sniper's mouth went dry, and he swallowed, but kept talking. "I was wondering…what if we kept her here?"

Engineer went silent. There was a pause, and Sniper tried to clarify. "I-I mean, we could create a nice place for her to live, we could—"

"Mundy," Engineer broke in, the tone of his voice sounding more serious. "Sleep on it,"

Sniper tried to argue. "I could pay for her needs, like—"

"Sleep on it," Engineer repeated. "Ya know what? Let her sleep here for the night, in your camper, and then the next morning you can make the decision. Okay?"

Sniper looked down at the baby, who only stared back at him blankly. He nodded slowly. "Okay, will do,"

"Okay," Engineer glanced at the clock. "It's gettin' time for supper. Best be headin' up, it's my turn to cook tonight,"

As Sniper left the workshop, with the baby pressed against him, he felt her stir slightly and then curl her small fist around part of his jacket, gripping onto him.

He paused, cupping her head and looking down at her. She yawned softly, and Sniper knew deep down that he was wrapped around her finger, now.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Sniper watched as the baby finished her bottle, and remembering what he'd seen Medic do, he set the bottle on the counter and lifted her up on his shoulder, patting her back. He was careful to do it gently, as he didn't want to hurt her in any way, but when nothing happened, he worried he was doing it wrong. However, this notion was quickly dispelled when the baby made a soft hiccup-like sound, and he pulled her away just in time to see that she'd spit up a bit on his shoulder.

"Aw, come on," he muttered, making a face and reaching for a washcloth. It wasn't terribly disgusting to him, just an inconvenience to deal with.

"She spit up on you?" Engineer noted from where he hovered over the stove, just a few feet away.

"Yeah," sighed Sniper, putting the dirty rag in the laundry basket. "It wasn't a lot, though,"

Right then, Spy entered the kitchen, opening the fridge and retrieving some bottled wine. He paused when he noticed Sniper with the baby, and he closed the fridge, watching in amusement.

"You've become very taken with her, haven't you?" Spy noted finally, setting the wine bottle on the counter to approach Sniper.

Sniper didn't know how to respond at first, so he simply shrugged and replied, "Who wouldn't be? She's cute, after all,"

"I'll be the judge of that," Spy suddenly held both his hands out. "Give her here, will you?

Sniper hesitated, then gingerly handed her over to Spy. She squirmed and made soft noises as Spy held her up, looking her up and down. He cooed something in French to her that Sniper couldn't hear, and then turned her on her back so he could hold her in a cradling position. "Do you have any idea how old she is?"

"Well, Doc said she was about 2 or 3 months old, but that's just an estimate," Sniper shrugged. "He said she's underweight too,"

Spy clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Ah, poor thing, stuck in a dumpster for God knows how long," he froze, briefly, and then asked, "Has she been bathed?"

"Yes,"

"Good," Spy appeared to relax at that, and he handed the baby back to Sniper. "Here you are,"

Sniper nodded, gladly accepting her back into his arms. It felt natural, now, to hold this baby, yet the more he held her the more certain he became that he wouldn't be able to let go.

After dinner ended, Sniper went to the spot on the couch where he'd left the baby for a nap, only to tense up in fear when he saw Pyro beginning to handle her.

"Pyro!" Sniper tried to intervene, reaching his hands in to stop Pyro from picking her up. "Pyro, be careful!"

"Relax, lad!" Demoman called from where he sat watching TV on the floor. "Firebug's bein' gentle,"

Sniper watched, fearing the worst as Pyro picked the infant up, but then found himself breathing a sigh of relief when Pyro simply cradled her, doing it in such a way that indicated they knew how to treat a baby properly.

Yet when she looked up and saw Pyro's masked face, she started to whimper and wriggle to get away. Pyro started to look panicked, but only gripped her tighter, so Sniper stepped in.

"Okay, Py, give 'er back," he requested gently, holding his arms out. Pyro obliged, handing the baby back over before smoothing a gentle hand over her small head.

"Aye, her hair is gunnae be real dark when it all grows out, I can tell!" Demo commented, grinning.

Sniper glanced at him, puzzled. "How can you tell?"

"See?" Demo leaned over and pointed to the little tufts of dark peach-fuzz. "Such pretty hair, huh little lassie?" he stroked the baby's cheek with a rough knuckle before pulling away. "Can't believe someone would just throw 'er away…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Sniper barely slept through the night.

He'd pulled the drawer from the small dresser he kept in his camper, and he padded it with his old shirts and ties, making sure it was comfortable. He then gently laid the baby in it, watching tentatively for her reaction. She was already very sleepy, he could tell, and he hoped she'd continue to sleep peacefully.

"Okay, beastie," he murmured, adjusting her a bit so she would be snugger. "Sleep tight, you had a big day today,"

Sniper climbed into his loft bed, and he felt as though he'd hardly drifted off before the baby's wailing jerked him out of his sleep. Blinking, he heaved himself up. "Okay, okay, I'm coming,"

The moment he touched the baby, he realized what was wrong. "Oh, you're cold," he grimaced, noticing how the towel she was wrapped in wasn't warm enough. "Bloody hell, I should've known. Sorry 'bout that,"

The baby curled into Sniper's warmth as he held her, and he felt a slight pang of guilt when he thought about putting her back in the drawer. He glanced towards his bed, toyed with the idea, and then stood up.

Carefully, Sniper climbed back into the loft bed, the baby clutched to his chest, and he settled under the blanket, easing her beside him. "There. Isn't that nice?" he adjusted her again, making sure she laid on her back. "Nice and warm in here, ain't it?"

Within moments, he fell asleep next to her, only to wake up several times during the night to make sure she was still breathing. He eventually just laid his hand on her chest, feeling for the slow rise and fall of her soft breathing. He also worried immensely about accidentally laying on her in his sleep, but since he hardly moved around during slumber anyway it wasn't really a concern.

Sniper fell asleep again at some point, only to wake up to the baby staring directly into his eyes. He panicked, briefly, and then took a breath. "Ah, you scared me,"

She stared back at him, and then extended her tiny hand to touch his nose. She pinched it, very softly, and Sniper could only stare back in wonder.

"God," he managed after a moment. "What am I gonna do with you?"

She made a babbling sound and wriggled a bit, and Sniper scooped her up, gently pulling her onto his lap. "Hm, I think I should give you a name, huh? Not right for a girl like you to not have a name,"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let's see…what's a good name? Sarah? No, no…doesn't fit you," he let her grab his finger. "Mia? Hm, maybe. I don't know, though,"

Suddenly, she sneezed, and Sniper wiped her nose with the edge of the blanket. "Bless you," then, he had a thought. "I know—how about I just call you 'Dee' for now?"

When she made a soft squeaking sound at him, he smiled at her. "Okay, Dee. That's what I'll call you for now, huh?" he watched her face for a few seconds, and then pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Sweet girl,"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"Hm," Heavy pursed his lips together as he watched Sniper feed the baby at the table. "You think is safe here for baby?"

Sniper didn't look up. "Well…y'know, Scout manages to keep his dog safe here. Don't see why a baby would be any different,"

Heavy shrugged. "True. Yet who will babysit?"

Sniper glanced at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"During our battles and missions," Heavy replied. "Someone must look after her. You can't keep her with you all time, is not safe,"

Dee hiccupped, and Sniper patted her back. "Well…I'm sure we'll find someone. Miss Pauling could do it,"

Heavy cast a look of doubt. "She is too busy. Baby needs attention,"

"Yeah, you're right," Sniper sighed. He looked down at Dee, and she made a cooing noise at him.

Just then, Scout strode into the kitchen, holding something behind his back. He had a wide smile across his face.

"Helloooo, Dee!" He grinned down at the infant. "I won somethin' out of a toy machine for ya!" He pulled out a stuffed bear with a ribbon around its neck. "Look at this! It's for you!"

Sniper snorted. "Scout, she's too little for those kinds of toys. You know that,"

"Aw, come on, Snipes! Look at her," he'd handed her the toy, and Dee was already chewing on it with her gums. "She likes it!"

Sniper watched her for a few seconds and then had a thought. "Scout, isn't your mum coming for a visit?"

Scout glanced up, puzzled. "Yeah? Why?"

"Do you think she could help look after Dee?" Sniper suggested. "I mean, she's had lots of experience with babies, but…"

"Sure!" Scout chirped. "I can ask her! She loves babies, she's gonna be all over Dee I bet!"

"Oh, good," Sniper sighed, relieved. "I mean, I know she's busy and she can't be full time, but—"

"Don't sweat it, Snipes," Scout assured. "I got it covered!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

"Oh, I was so excited when Jeremy told me! I almost bought the baby clothes in the department store window, but didn't know what her size was so I didn't bother!"

"She's small at the moment," Spy noted as he turned down the dusty road. "But she's in need of proper clothing, so if you ever feel the need clothes would be appreciated, I'm sure,"

Angelica glanced out the car window again, unable to stop grinning. "I haven't gotten to hold a baby since my friend Susan had her son— oh, you remember Susan, don't you? Her husband tried to shoot you twice,"

"I remember,"

"Yeah, anyway, she got the flu pretty bad when he was born so I looked after him for a bit! He was so cute— 'course that was when Jeremy got chickenpox so Sandra had to take over for me. Oh, by the way, Sandra finally divorced that no-good husband of hers!"

Spy hummed in response. "Oh, good for her," the car slowed to a stop, and he parked. "We're here,"

The two got out of the car, and Spy led Angelica to the base's entrance. Scout saw them coming from outside the window, so he rushed to greet his mother.

"Ma!" Scout exclaimed as she walked in, and he threw his arms around her. "I'm so glad to see ya!"

Angelica grinned at him, pulling away and reaching out to touch his face. "There's my lil' boy! Look at you, you're so cute as always!"

Scout playfully swatted her hand, shaking his head. "No, no, I ain't cute,"

"Yes, you are!" Angelica gasped suddenly. "Oh! I brought you something," she reached into her bag and pulled out a container. "I brought you some pudding! It's chocolate, your favorite, you said you wanted some in your last letter to me!"

Scout's eyes lit up, and he took the container. "Really? Wow, thanks, Ma! You're the best!" He hugged her again and opened the container.

"You may want to refrigerate that," Spy interjected, and Scout scoffed.

"'Course I'm gonna put it in the fridge, dumbass,"

Angelica set her bag down and looked around a bit. "Where's the little one?"

Just then, a voice came from the doorway. "Angelica? Is that you?" It was Sniper, and he stepped in with Dee in his arms.

Angelica turned around, gasping at the sight of the baby. "Oh…oh, my goodness!" She stepped forward, examining Dee without touching her, and then hesitantly holding her arms out. "Can I…?"

"Go ahead," Sniper urged, handing the baby off to Angelica.

Lips parted slightly in awe, Angelica took baby Dee into her arms and stared down at her with wide eyes. "Oh…she's so little! Spy told me she was small but I didn't imagine…" she trailed off, brow furrowing at Dee's feet. "What is she wearing?"

"Oh, Medic made those," Sniper replied. "They're little socks, I think. No idea what he made them from,"

"She's wearing a giant sock as— what is this, a dress?" Angelica picked at the sock Dee was wearing, the one with the holes cut into it. "Have you gone shopping for any baby supplies?"

"Well…not exactly, Medic already had a lot of the stuff on hand, so—"

Angelica waved him off. "We need to go shopping, then. She needs the good stuff," Dee cooed, and Angelica grinned down at her. "Yes, you do! You need the good stuff, huh, pretty girl?"

"Oh, that sounds great," Sniper agreed. "If you could buy some stuff in town, that would be—"

"Oh, no, you're gonna come with me," Angelica stated firmly. "She's your kid, after all,"

Sniper almost argued, but chose not to. Instead, he stared down at Dee and realized that yes, she was his. This girl was his, now.

"Okay," Sniper swallowed. "Um…yeah, yeah, I can shop with you,"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"Hm," Angelica took a look around the space. "Are you sure?"

Sniper looked up from where he was assembling the crib on the floor. "What?"

"It's just," Angelica grimaced a bit, bouncing Dee in her arms. "I knew your camper was small, but I didn't realize it was this small. Sorry if I'm being rude, I just…"

"Look, it's fine," Sniper straightened up, wiping his brow. "This is where she's been the past few days, and there hasn't been a problem,"

Angelica shrugged. "I don't doubt that, but where has she been sleeping before you got the crib?"

"In my dresser drawer," Sniper replied. "Also in bed with me. She prefers my bed, though,"

"Oh, okay," Angelica nodded, glancing down at Dee. "You know, Jeremy slept in a dresser drawer when he was a baby too,"

Sniper turned to look at her, surprised. "Really? You didn't have a crib?"

"No, we had one," Angelica explained. "It's just his brother Tommy wouldn't get out of it,"

"Oh," Sniper couldn't help but snicker. "That must have been a challenge,"

Later that night, Sniper dressed Dee in her new footie pajamas he'd just bought that day. His TV played a sitcom, but he was only half watching it as he dressed the baby.

"There we go," he stepped back to admire Dee in her new clothes. "Looks nice, huh?"

Dee only babbled and stuffed her whole hand in her mouth. Sniper smiled down at her.

"I wonder what you're gonna be like when you get bigger, huh?" Sniper picked Dee up, caressing her soft cheek gently. "I bet you'll have quite the personality,"

Dee looked into his eyes, and then smiled at him, and Sniper felt his heart just melt.

This quiet, sweet moment was suddenly interrupted by a loud cracking sound outside. Sniper jolted only a bit, but figured it was his teammates doing target practice.

Dee, however, did not know this and began to whimper loudly. Sniper grimaced, pulling her closer. "Uh-oh, I'm sorry, muffin. It's okay, it's just the guys,"

Another crack of a rifle sounded outside, and Sniper suddenly started feeling uneasy. Swaying Dee in his arms to settle her down, he went to his window and peeked out.

Sniper's gut twisted in alarm when he saw the shapes of men he did not recognize wandering around the area, and he didn't have to watch for long to know that they had weapons.

Acting fast, he pulled his rifle from the bottom drawer of his dresser, Dee still clutched to his chest. He knelt down, aiming the rifle at the door, waiting for anything, his heart pounding.

Dee seemed to sense his anxiety and curled closer, whining. Sniper only patted her back soothingly. "Papa's got you, Dee," he assured her. "Nothing's gonna happen to you, I promise,"

He crouched there for what felt like hours, waiting, preparing for an attack. Then, there was a knock at the door, but Sniper didn't go to open it.

"Who's out there?" He called, never losing his grip on the gun. "I'm armed,"

Much to his relief, Spy's voice answered back. "Relax, bushman. It's only me,"

"Oh," Sniper rose up, still holding the gun at his side and clutching Dee protectively to his chest, and he let Spy in. "Who were those guys outside? Why were they shooting?"

Spy sighed. "It seems they were just a group of unsavory rednecks, looking for a place to do their target practice. Don't worry, I resolved the issue, and I asked them to leave. If they return, though, they'll have Pauling to deal with,"

Sniper felt himself relax. "Oh, good. I was worried, Dee was all upset too,"

"Mm, I imagine," he stroked his hand over Dee's small head. "Poor thing. At least she has you to protect her,"

"Oh, yeah," Sniper smiled down at Dee, feeling her grasp his shirt in her tiny fists again. "Yeah, she does,"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

"Oh, my god," Sniper cursed. "Work, you bloody thing!"

The annoyed mutters were followed by the repeated pulsing of the blender, and Demo poked his head in the kitchen, concerned.

"Aye, lad, you all right?"

"Um," Sniper glanced up, and then back down at the blender. "Yes— no, wait…can you help me?"

Demo approached the scene and leaned over Sniper's shoulder. "What is it?"

"It's not…it's not blending!" Sniper huffed, mashing the button again. "Maybe it's too thick?"

Demo took the lid off the blender and peered inside, offering, "You may wanna add a bit o' water, looks drier than the desert in there,"

"Oh," Sniper reached a for a cup and turned on the sink. "Yeah, that makes sense,"

As Sniper added the water, Demo inquired, "What are ya working on there?"

"Some food for Dee," Sniper responded. "Doc says she can have food besides formula now, so I'm blendin' up some vegetables for her,"

"Ah," Demo watched as Sniper pressed the button again, and this time the blender began to work away at the contents. Once this was done, Sniper popped the top off and poured a bit of the mixture into a container. Demo spoke up again as he was doing this. "So, I've been meanin' to ask ye: did you adopt Dee officially?"

"No," Sniper answered curtly, retrieving a rubber-tipped spoon from the cabinet.

"Uh, are ye planning to?" Demo wanted to know.

"Obviously, yeah," Sniper didn't look at him as he headed to the TV room, calling, "Dee, I got somethin' for you,"

Dee lay on the center of the floor atop her blanket, chewing on a polka-dot elephant while Soldier leaned over her and examined her.

"You are so small!" He exclaimed, poking her middle. "How are you ever gonna grow into a true American if that Australian keeps feeding you milk?!"

Dee only drooled on her elephant, and Soldier continued. "When you learn to walk, I'm gonna teach you to hold a gun! Never too early to start defending your country,"

"Okay, Jane, that's enough," Sniper gently pushed past Soldier, kneeling down and scooping Dee up. "Time to eat, beastie,"

As Sniper sat on the couch with Dee and got the container out, Soldier eyed it suspiciously. "What is that?"

"Vegetables," Sniper got a good spoonful of the stuff. "Carrots, peas, and some beans,"

"Hm," Soldier made a face. "Better not be chemicals in there,"

Sniper paused, raising an eyebrow. "What? Of course, I didn't put chemicals in the baby food,"

"Are you sure?" Soldier asked, his voice slightly lower.

Sniper rolled his eyes and held the spoon up. "Okay, Dee, let's see if you like it,"

He gently pushed the spoon into her waiting mouth, and watched, waiting for her reaction.

Dee worked her mouth around, tasting, and then scowled. The green, soupy mixture spilled from her mouth and down her chin, dripping onto Sniper's pant leg.

"Oh," Sniper looked down, surprised. "Okay…I guess you didn't like that,"

"That's it!" Soldier barked, storming to the kitchen. "I'm going to make actual, good food for her! Leave it to me,"

Sniper was an alert instantly, standing up but choosing to stay in the TV room rather than following Soldier. "What are you on about!?"

There were sounds of rummaging around and cabinets slamming in the kitchen, and then Soldier called, "Scout! Where did you put the leftover fried chicken!?"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Sighed Sniper, walking briskly to the kitchen with Dee still tucked in his arm.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Dee curled her little hand into a fist while she sucked away on her new pacifier, and Sniper couldn't help but smile down at her.

"Do you like it, Dee?" He rubbed her cheek gently. "Sure was nice of Angelica to get that for you, huh?"

Dee only babbled and stretched her arms in response, and Sniper mused aloud, "I wonder when you're finally gonna talk,"

She started to squirm and make unhappy sounds, so Sniper laid her in her playpen and turned the TV on.

Sniper heard the sounds of footsteps heading towards the doorway, and he assumed it was Scout at first, so he began, "There's a baseball game on if you wanted to watch that,"

"Thanks, but I'm not too interested in baseball right now," a familiar, feminine voice behind him replied, and Sniper turned around in surprise.

Miss Pauling entered, and she stopped, surveying the scene before her. Her eyes landed on Dee in the playpen, and she turned back to Sniper.

"So," she took a breath, resting her hands in her dress pockets. "When were you planning on telling me about this?"

Sniper fell silent. A knot of worry formed in his gut, and he swallowed. "I…I…I thought Engie was going to tell you,"

"Well, he didn't," Miss Pauling answered. "I had to find out from Scout after I asked him what his mother was doing on the base. He said she was acting as a baby sitter for your child," she looked back at Dee in the playpen, eyeing her with slight confusion. "I didn't even realize you were seeing anyone. Is the mother around?"

Sniper let this question process, and then he quickly clarified, "Oh, no, she's not mine. I mean…she is, but not blood-related. I found her, she'd been abandoned,"

Pauling just nodded. "Ah, I see," she sat on the couch beside Sniper, crossing one leg over the other. "Can you tell me what you did after you found her? Did you try calling anyone?"

"No," Sniper started feeling uneasy.

"Not even the Teufort orphanage? Anyone?"

Sniper couldn't take it anymore, and he blurted out, "Aw, hell! Why in God's name would I take her to the Teufort orphanage!? To be raised by a bunch of damn lunatics in a place where she probably won't ever be adopted by anyone, and then they'll kick her on the street when she's 18!? Is that what you want!?"

Pauling put her hands up defensively. "Hey, hey! I never said I wanted that, okay?" She sighed. "Listen, I'm just saying that it was a little irresponsible to just take her, even if she was abandoned,"

"She was in a damn dumpster,"

"I know,"

"She was malnourished when I found her,"

"Sniper, please listen to me," Pauling pleaded. "Look, I'll let you keep her,"

There was a pause, and Sniper spoke back up, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, but under one condition," she stated. "If you'll let me check the recent birth registry in Teufort, so we can find a potential mother,"

Sniper chewed on his lip, looking towards Dee. After a moment, he took a breath. "Okay, but the mum probably doesn't want her back,"

"I know, if she abandoned the baby in a dumpster she probably doesn't," Pauling agreed. "But it's the right thing to do. You also need to sign official adoption papers, but I can help you with that,"

"Okay," Sniper swallowed, looking away.

Dee started to whimper in her playpen, and Sniper rose up to pick her up. He settled back on the couch with Dee in his arms, and she grabbed the collar of his shirt into her tiny fist, looking up at him.

Pauling leaned in a bit, looking at Dee's face. After a moment, she commented, "She's really pretty,"

"Yeah," Sniper agreed, smoothing a hand over the small head. Demo had been right, Dee's hair was coming in thick and dark.

"What's her name?"

"I've been callin' her Dee," Sniper responded. "Not short for anything, I just liked the sound of it,"

Dee's pacifier fell out of her mouth, and she started to whine in panic. Sniper retrieved it and quickly gave it back to her. "Oops. Here ya go, beastie,"

As Dee began sucking on the pacifier again, Pauling commented, "You're really good with her,"

Sniper smiled. "Ah, thank you," he adjusted his grip on the infant and turned to Pauling. "You wanna hold her?"

Pauling hesitated and then held her arms out. "Uh…sure,"

Sniper gently placed Dee in Pauling's arms, and Pauling held Dee for maybe a few seconds before handing her back over to Sniper.

"Um, I'm sorry," Pauling retracted her arms, staring back down at Dee. "I'm not that comfortable holding kids, uh…"

"That's okay," Sniper assured. "I didn't use to be that good with kids either, 'least I never thought I was. Never really spent that much time with 'em, y'know?"

"Oh, I spent so much time around little kids when I was a teenager," Pauling sighed. "By that logic, I should love them, but I really…don't," she laughed a little. "My mom ran a daycare out of our house when I was younger,"

Sniper glanced up, surprised. "Really? Wow. What was that like?"

Pauling groaned. "It was like having little brothers and sisters constantly. I mean, I didn't see them a lot since I was at school, but they'd leave their toys everywhere and they'd get into my stuff. One time, some of the kids got finger paint on my old typewriter, and I got so angry that I told my mom I would move out if she kept letting the kids near my stuff,"

"Wow. Did you?"

"No. Well, not then. I moved out a couple of years later but…" she trailed off, suddenly getting quiet. "I got kicked out…because of…stuff,"

"Oh," there was a silence, and Sniper patted her hand gently. "I'm sorry to hear that,"

"It's okay," Pauling assured. "It was a long time ago. I haven't seen my parents since," she cleared her throat, looking back at Dee. "Anyway, I think it's really interesting that you adopted a baby you found,"

Sniper raised an eyebrow. "Interesting? Why is it interesting?"

"Well…I mean, you were adopted," Pauling shrugged. "I just think it's cool that you adopted a kid yourself, years later,"

"I…" Sniper looked down at Dee. "Yeah…you're right. Huh," he hadn't thought about that.

Pauling sniffed, standing up. "Oh, I almost forgot: I'm taking you guys out for dinner tonight at the diner, I hope that's okay,"

"Yeah," Sniper replied, letting Dee grab his finger. "Yeah, that's fine. Can I bring Dee?"

"Of course," Pauling nodded, smoothing her dress out before leaving the room. "I didn't think you'd leave her behind here, anyway,"

"Yeah,"

As Pauling left the room, Sniper brought Dee up to his shoulder and hugged her close. "Yeah, Dee, I'd never leave you behind," he murmured, rubbing her back lovingly. "Don't worry,"

Dee cooed around her pacifier into Sniper's ear, and Sniper planted a tiny kiss on her cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

It was rather windy in town when the mercenaries arrived at the diner with Miss Pauling by their side, and the sun was close to setting for the evening. Upon entering, they pushed two tables together to make one long table so everyone could sit together. This was usual for them, as they went to this diner somewhat frequently.

However, for the first time ever, the waitress spotted Sniper with the baby in his arms and called, "Hey! Do you need a high-chair?"

Sniper felt rather surprised at the question but realized it made sense. "Oh…um, yes, please,"

The waitress handed him the folded up high-chair, and Sniper went to work setting it up as Dee lay in his free arm. Once this was completed, he gently set her down in it. She had difficulty sitting up but stayed upright as she looked around the place.

"Aww, what a sweet baby!" Another passing waitress remarked, stopping to take a look. "How old is she?"

"Um," Sniper was caught off guard by the question. "She's-she's about four months old,"

The waitress grinned and patted Dee's small head. "Oh, well, she's so cute! She looks just like you!"

"I…" Sniper almost clarified but stopped. "Thank you,"

As the waitress walked away, Medic scoffed. "'Looks just like you', how silly! She looks nothing like Sniper, she's far too pretty. How silly,"

Sniper rolled his eyes. "Hm. Thanks,"

"Hey, Snipes," Scout piped up after the waitress had brought them their drinks. "Ain't this the place you found Dee at?"

Sniper froze, pausing the sipping of his coffee. "Oh…" he looked out the window, seeing the corner of the black dumpster just in view. "Oh, yeah, it is," he looked at Dee, realizing how different she looked when he'd first seen her compared to now. She had been so thin and small and dirty, with only a pair of soiled, torn pajama pants for clothing (which he'd thrown away the moment he'd arrived at the base). Now, she had put on a healthy amount of weight in just a few weeks, she'd been bathed many times, and now she wore a little heart-print onesie and adorable little boots on her feet. Seeing how far she'd come suddenly made Sniper feel very emotional, and he swallowed past the lump in his throat to lean over and kiss her cheek.

"Sniper, after dinner, I'm going to get the birth records from here to see if I can find her," Pauling explained, stirring her tea. "Is that— Pyro, don't do that," she gently swatted Pyro's hand away from Dee, who they were trying to feed an entire sugar packet to. "Is that okay with you?"

Sniper nodded, sipping at his coffee. "Yeah, yeah, um," he took a breath. "If we find the mother…are we going to talk to her at all?"

Pauling shrugged. "If you want, and if she's around of course,"

"I don't really wanna talk to her," Sniper muttered. "She's not getting Dee back, that's for sure. Not after the hell she put her through,"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Dee was fussy in her crib that night, so Sniper let her sleep in his bed again. It seemed like she preferred sleeping beside him at night, and he didn't mind that at all.

He slept for maybe an hour before a knocking at the door awoke him, and he lifted his head, his eyes still hazy with sleep. "Mm…what?"

They knocked again, harder this time, and Sniper groaned. "Okay, okay, coming,"

He opened the door, and was surprised to find Miss Pauling standing there, looking rather disheveled with a file clasped in her hand.

"Sniper, you aren't gonna believe this," she sounded nearly out of breath. "But I think I found Dee's mom!"

Sniper stood still for a moment, processing this. "Um…how do you figure?"

Pauling entered and took a seat at the table, throwing the folder down. "So I got a copy of the recent births in this area, and the birth records here include the mother's name, the father's name, and the name of the baby, including the birth date. They're all pretty standard entries, sometimes the father's name isn't included but it's still just the mother and baby. But I came across this one entry from five months ago that doesn't make much sense,"

She pulled out a paper and laid it down for Sniper to see, and she pointed to an entry. "See?"

Sniper squinted, reading the entry. It went like this:

_'Date of birth: September 15th, 1977_

_Birth location: Teufort Hospital_

_Mother's name: Marni d'Angelo_

_Father's name: [OMITTED]_

_Child's given name: X'_

"'X'?" Sniper repeated, his brows furrowing together. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Normally, when a mother puts an 'X' for her baby's name, it either means two things: the mother doesn't know how to read and write, or she hasn't named the baby because she's planning to put them up for adoption," Pauling explained.

Sniper read over the entry a second time, his eyes going to the mother's name. "So…Marni d'Angelo, huh?"

"Yep,"

"Who is she?"

Pauling pulled out a few more papers, as well as some printed out photographs. "Well, I looked her up, too, and it turns out she had quite the name in the bad parts of Teufort,"

She presented the photographs, which were printed out mugshots of a teenage girl. "She's been arrested twice, and she's served jail time for both second degree assualt and robbery, both from separate instances. She's from a family of Italian immigrants, and she dropped out of middle school roughly three years ago,"

Sniper took one of the pictures, slowing looking it up and down. Marni was young, very young, probably around 15 years old. She was very pretty, although she wore a sour expression in her mugshot, and she had stunning, thick dark hair. Just by looking at her, Sniper knew who she was.

"Yep," he sighed. "That's Dee's mum. Looks just like her,"

Pauling put the photos back, continuing, "That was all of the relevant information I could find on her since she is a minor after all, but while I was getting this information, someone told me something I had no idea about,"

Sniper glanced up. "Hm? What?"

"That someone was Spy," Pauling took a breath. "Apparently he knew someone who knows the d'Angelos, and according to him…Marni is dead,"

The revelation hit Sniper like a stone. He was silent for a few seconds before remarking, "Uh…dead?"

Pauling nodded solemnly. "Yes…she died after giving birth, actually. Apparently it was from an infection. Afterwards, her baby was sent to live with Marni's parents. That's as far as Spy knows,"

Dee began whimpering from the loft bed, and Sniper rose to retrieve her. He sat back at the table with her stirring in his arms, and he rubbed her cheek lovingly.

There was a silence, and Pauling pushed the mugshot photos towards Sniper. "Do you want to keep these? I mean it's the only picture I could find of Marni,"

Sniper thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, sure. Maybe I can show them to Dee when she's older,"

Pauling stood up, folder in hand. "Well, I'm gonna head back. If you want to find the rest of Marni's family, Spy could help you out with that,"

"Sure," Sniper replied quietly, not looking up.

Miss Pauling left the camper, and Sniper was alone with Dee. He held up the picture of Marni, so she could see it.

"Dee, look," he said softly. "That's your mum,"

Dee only yawned, unimpressed, and she squirmed around to press her face into Sniper's chest.

It was a sweet moment, until Sniper felt a tiny pinch and realized what Dee really wanted. "Oh! You're hungry, sorry. Let me get you your bottle,"

He laid the picture of Marni on the counter and went to get Dee her formula.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

"Uh, you sure about this, boy?" Sniper grimaced as he nervously fiddled with the towel.

Scout made sure Dee was sitting comfortably on the shower floor, and then he reached up to turn on the shower handle. "Relax, Snipes, it's fine! My ma used to do this with me all the time,"

The shower started, and Scout leaned down to scoop Dee up. "Okay, Dee! Let's have a shower, okay?"

Sniper noticed Dee squirming, and he stepped forward to try and warn Scout. "Scout, don't—!" But it was too late.

Scout started to ease into the water, only to freeze up and then yelp in outrage. "Eww, what the fuck!? She just pissed on me!"

Dee started shrieking like a banshee, and Sniper went to her aid instantly. "Okay, okay, that's enough of that! Dee, it's okay,"

Scout grabbed a bar of soap and began vigorously scrubbing his arms. "That's freakin' gross man! When is she gonna learn not to do that!?"

Sniper sighed, frustrated. "Bloody Hell, Scout, she's a baby! What'd you expect her to do?"

"Not piss on me, I guess!" Scout growled out before grabbing the showerhead and hosing himself down (despite the fact that he still wore his shorts). "Jeez…ugh, okay, let's try it again,"

"Actually, I think I'll stick to giving her baths," Sniper quickly replied, wrapping Dee up in the towel and briskly turning away.

"No, no! Hey, Snipes—!" Scout started to pursue him, but slipped on the wet shower floor and landed face first, letting out a loud cry as his face met the hard floor.

Sniper whirled around, gasping, "Oh, my God!" He knelt down to examine Scout, balancing Dee in a free arm. "Shit! Are you okay!?"

Scout pushed himself up, holding his nose in one hand while wincing. "I'm…" he pulled his hand away, noticing all the blood. "Aw, shit,"

"Uh-oh," Sniper sighed, helping him up. "Come on, let's get you to Medic, then,"

Minutes later, Scout sat on the counter in Medic's office, where Medic stuffed cotton into his nose like a teddy bear. "There we are, that should do it for now. It will heal quickly, do not worry,"

Scout tried to inhale through his nose, snorting. "Can't…can't breathe,"

"Yeah, that's why God gave you a mouth to breathe through," Sniper added from the chair a few feet away. "Plan B,"

Dee enjoyed a bottle as she lay in Sniper's arms, and Medic leaned over to smile at her. "My goodness, I could hear her crying all the way from here! She's got quite a set of lungs, this one,"

"Oh, she does," Sniper agreed, smiling and running a hand over her small head. "She's always had a loud cry,"

"Ugh," Scout made a face, trying to cope with all the cotton in his nose. "How long I gotta keep this in?"

"Until it stops bleeding," Medic told him firmly. "I already told you. Relax and breathe through your mouth, dummkopf,"

An hour later, Scout's nose had stopped bleeding, but he was still irritated about the whole thing. Sniper found him sitting on the recreation room couch, watching a baseball game but looking rather upset.

Sniper crossed in front of him to place Dee in her playpen. "Hope you don't mind, Dee needs a nap,"

Scout glanced towards the playpen, and his brow furrowed. "How long has that been there?"

"Hm?" Sniper looked up. "Oh, Demo got this, actually. He bought it at a thrift store, he said,"

"Oh," Scout stared at it for another moment. "Huh. Never noticed it. Did he paint it? Looks like it a got a weird paint job,"

Sniper squinted at the strange coloring on the playpen's plastic. "Oh…Pyro did that, actually. Looks like their work,"

He sat beside Scout and watched the baseball game with him for a few minutes, and when the commercials came on, Scout turned to him and asked, "So, you're really gonna keep her here?"

Sniper nodded. "Yes. Pauling's going to get the official adoption papers for me, and that will be that,"

"Does the Administrator know?"

"I…" Sniper trailed off, and then shook his head. "I don't know if Pauling told her, but I don't think the Administrator would care unless Dee started affecting my performance during matches. Which she hasn't,"

"Oh," Scout went quiet for a few minutes, and then spoke up again. "I mean, what if we're here for a long time, and Dee has to start goin' to school. What's gonna ha—?"

"I don't know!" Sniper blurted out suddenly, startling Scout. There was a pause, and Sniper cleared his throat. "Sorry, I just…"

"Nah, I'm sorry," Scout reassured. "I'm sorry, I keep…I keep fuckin' up all the time,"

"No, no, it's fine," Sniper reassured back. "It's fine,"

"No!" A strange, small voice blurted, and both stopped.

Scout glanced at the TV, confused. "Was that in a commercial, or…?"

"No!" The voice repeated, followed by a rhythmic clicking. "No, no, no…"

Sniper gasped, jumping off the couch and peering into the playpen. "Oh, my God! Oh my— Scout, it's Dee! Dee's talking!"

"What!? Scout jumped up too, going to investigate. "You're kiddin',"

"I swear, I'm not!" He pointed into the playpen. "Listen to her!"

Sure enough, Dee was clacking her pacifier against the side of the playpen, repeating, "No, no, no," each time. When she noticed Sniper staring down at her, she looked up at him and gave him a big, toothless grin.

Sniper felt himself getting emotional again, but this time he couldn't stop it and the next thing he knew, there were tears going down his face. He tried to dry them but they wouldn't stop.

Scout happened to notice, and he playfully prodded Sniper's arm with his elbow. "Aw, you cryin', bud?"

Sniper sniffed, prodding him back. "Shut your cheeky mouth,"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Sniper woke up that morning to find Dee sleeping soundly in her crib. She looked so sweet sleeping but woke her up anyway so she could get her breakfast.

After brewing his cup of coffee, he prepared a cup of applesauce and a bottle of formula for Dee to enjoy and then sat her down to eat.

However, Dee still seemed rather sluggish, even after eating a little, and Sniper noticed instantly that something was off. A knot of worry formed within the pit of his stomach as he touched Dee's cheek.

"Dee?" He asked, his tone shifting to a worried one. "Dee— are you okay, love?"

She only blinked at him and started to whine pitifully, yet it seemed like she didn't have the energy for a full cry. This worried Sniper greatly, so he picked her right up and took her to Medic.

"Doc?" He called as he entered the office, holding Dee against him. "Doc, something's wrong with Dee!"

Medic was busy tending to Heavy when Sniper entered, and he only glanced up.

"Ah, Sniper? Is it the baby again?"

"Yeah," Sniper answered, anxious. "Something's really wrong, she's not eating and she's acting tired—!"

"All right, all right, sit right there," Medic pointing to the chair behind him. "Just wait with her, wait for me to finish with this. I am almost done,"

As Sniper sat down, clutching Dee close to him, Heavy looked up and squinted at the two for a moment. After a few seconds, he extended his large hand and beckoned Sniper. "Bring her here,"

Sniper blinked. "Huh?"

"The baby," Heavy made another gesture with his hand. "Bring her here,"

Sniper hesitated, then rose up to gently pass Dee to Heavy. Heavy gently placed his wide hand on her forehead, feeling it, and then confirmed, "She has fever. Same thing happen to my sisters, years ago. It will pass,"

"Oh," Sniper felt significant relief, now that he knew what it was. "Oh, thank God. Well, do you have anything for it, doc?"

Medic nodded as finished with the last set of Heavy's stitches. "Of course I do! Just a moment," he placed a bandage over the wound on Heavy's knee. "Now, Misha, please be careful when you cut the firewood next time. We don't want a piece of wood giving you another nasty cut!"

Heavy nodded, getting up. "Yes, thank you,"

Medic affectionately brushed Heavy's arm on the way out. "We will talk later, Misha!" He then turned to where Sniper stood with Dee, and he took Dee into his arms. "Alright, liebe! Let's get a fever reducer for you, hm?"

Medic got out a pill from a bottle in one of his cabinets, and he cut it in half. "Babies can only have half an adult one, adult ones are too strong," he explained, putting the pill into a pill-crusher and grinding it as Dee lay on the examination table.

Sniper observed the scene silently, and then asked after a moment, "Doc, did you ever have children?"

The question seemed to catch Medic off guard, and he paused the grinding. "Well…" he swallowed. "Yes, actually. I…I have a son,"

This revelation was startling to Sniper. "Wait, you have a son? Where is he? How old is he?"

Medic placed the powder from the pill into a glass of water, stirring it. "He turned 16 three months ago. He lives back in Germany, I haven't seen him since he was 12," Medic poured the water into a bottle, which he began to twist the rubber top on. "I had him out of wedlock when I was unemployed, so he lives with my cousin. I haven't visited him in years but we write letters to one another,"

Sniper stood there and watched Medic give Dee a dose of the fever reducer, and he asked, "What's his name?"

"His name is Peter," Medic replied, his voice a little quiet. "He's a good boy; he does well in school, his behavior is good, he takes excellent care of his health,"

"He should come for a visit sometime," Sniper suggested. "I'm sure everyone would love to meet him,"

Medic shrugged. "Perhaps, maybe for a holiday. He barely knows English, though,"

"That's okay," Sniper assured. "Spy also speaks German, right?"

"Yes," Medic nodded. "Well, we'll see," he cleared his throat, setting the bottle down. "Dee's fever should not last terribly long, now,"

"Okay," Sniper took Dee back into his arms, noticing that she was perking up, now. Relieved, he put a little kiss on her forehead. "Thank you,"

"Of course," Medic waved him off, going to his desk. "I have some work to do today, we will talk later,"

Sniper nodded. "Yeah," as he headed out the door, he felt Dee rooting for food on him, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah, Dee, how many times do I gotta keep telling you I can't feed you like that? Silly girl; let's get you some breakfast,"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

It was as he was sitting at the campfire during a celebratory cookout that Sniper realized he'd had Dee for an entire month.

During that time, she'd gained weight and overcome her malnourishment, learned to eat solid food, and even spoke for the first time (her first word was 'no', but she'd recently learned 'yeah' as well, although didn't know what either meant and said them at random). Instead of wearing one of Engie's socks, she now wore a little onesie with a bear on the front. She'd come so far in just a month, and as Sniper stared at her, with her little cheeks illuminated by the flame's light in the dark, he realized that he had never loved a human being more.

Dee cooed and chewed on her stuffed bear as she lay on Sniper's lap, her blue eyes fixated on the flames of the campfire. Sniper gently stroked the soft hair on Dee's head, watching as she smiled up at him and kicked her stumpy legs.

Sniper felt someone sit beside him, and he looked up to see that Scout had chosen to sit in the lawn chair next to him. Scout leaned over to look at Dee, and he asked, "Is she chewin' on the bear I gave her?"

"Yep," Sniper replied. "I took off the ribbon, I didn't want her to eat it. Hope you don't mind,"

Scout waved him off. "It's fine, it's just a ribbon," he glanced back down at Dee. "Is it okay if I hold her?"

"Oh," Sniper looked at Dee, and then at Scout. "Sure," he carefully lifted Dee up and into Scout's arms as he quietly gave the younger man tips on how to hold her properly.

Scout situated Dee in his lap, and he stroked her hair gently. "I think she keeps gettin' cuter, what do you think, Snipes?"

Sniper scoffed. "She's always been cute, what do you mean?"

It was then that Scout tilted his head up and looked at something several feet away, squinting. "Hey…I think that's Miss Pauling up there! But…who's with her?"

A hush fell over the group when they all realized who was approaching: the Administrator.

Miss Pauling had a concerned look on her face, while the Administrator wore a blank expression. The atmosphere changed the instant she walked up to them, and her eyes flicked to Sniper.

"Mr. Mundy, could you come with me? And bring the child,"

Everything was silent. Sniper tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come, so he just scooped Dee up and wordlessly trailed after Pauling and the Administrator. This was all very strange, and Sniper couldn't possibly imagine what was about to follow.

Dee whimpered, and he only stroked her head. He pressed her closer, praying silently that all would be well.

They arrived at the Administrator's office, and the moment she motioned for Sniper to sit down, he immediately went into defense mode.

"Ma'am, please try to understand," Sniper began, attempting not to sound anxious. "I couldn't leave her, and she's not affecting my performance, I—!"

The Administrator lifted her hand to silence him. "Your performance is not what concerns me, Mr. Mundy," she leaned onto the desk, glaring into Sniper's eyes. "I just want to ask you something: do you really think it was wise to take the child out in public?"

Sniper couldn't speak for a moment. "I…what?"

"Did you honestly think no one in the town of Teufort would recognize that child if you took her around the town?" The Administrator asked, crossing her arms. "Because someone did,"

Sniper's heart dropped. "What? But…she's a baby— who…?"

"Some locals recognized her as an Italian family's baby, one who supposedly died under mysterious circumstances," the Administrator went on to elaborate. "Specifically, it was the Di'Angelo family. It was thought that they lost both their daughter and granddaughter due to a tragic hospital incident, but when someone spotted you with that baby at the diner, rumors started going around,"

"I don't believe this!" Sniper exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Someone recognized a baby when all babies look the same!?"

The Administrator only sighed. "I know, I know. Please sit down, you'll scare the baby," she cleared her throat and continued. "Now, I know you did not mean for any of this, but you should know that shortly after the rumors began that the Di'Angelos gave up their granddaughter for adoption, the rest of the family suddenly disappeared. No one knows where they went,"

Sniper shook his head. "I…I don't understand. What does this have to do with me? The Di'Angelos obviously didn't want Dee, so as far as I care, they're not part of her life and they never will be," he gripped Dee tightly to his chest. "Dee is my daughter, now,"

"Oh, I'm well aware, Mr. Mundy. You see…" she pulled out a collection of photographs and papers, which she laid on the desk. "The Di'Angelos were also involved in lots of mob-related schemes, and I should tell you that I've crossed paths with Mr. Di'Angelo before. I don't much care for him, so," she gestured to the papers. "Would you like a new side mission? Would you like to find the Di'Angelos and make them pay for their crimes?"

Sniper just stared at the pictures, and he looked them over in silence. After a moment, he swallowed. "I'll…let me think about it, okay?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

"I don't understand your fuckin' problem," Scout snarked, throwing away the remains of his soiled bandages. "I'm a fuckin' adult, Snipes! I can take care of myself,"

"Well, you certainly didn't know how to control that Jeep," Sniper retorted, yet his voice still held concern. "You had me really scared,"

Scout huffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, that's always how it is. I always fuck up, you get scared, and then you have to come in lookin' like a hero. That's how it always is!"

"I mean," Sniper approached hesitantly, trying to examine the open wound on Scout's arm. "Are you okay—?"

"Oh, my God," Scout groaned, rising and stalking away, throwing his hands in the air. "I'm fine! Jeez, can't you leave me the fuck alone?!"

"Hey, I'm just worried—!"

"You always are!" Scout paced, slipping his hands into his pockets. He didn't look at Sniper for several moments, his feet making a tapping sound against the wood floor. Finally, he stopped. "Snipes?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…" Scout swallowed. "Can you…leave me alone for a while?"

Sniper froze. "What do you mean?"

"Just…" Scout turned away, crossing his arms. "I don't wanna talk,"

"I don't understand,"

"Oh, for—!" Scout inhaled sharply, trying to control his temper. "Go…go out huntin' or somethin'. Shoot some folks, do whatever the hell it is you do in your free time. Just…leave me alone, okay?"

Sniper only stood there, still a bit confused. "But…you're still hurt,"

"I'll go see Medic," Scout sighed. "For the love of God, I can take of myself!" He pointed to the door. "Go. Have a nice day,"

"I…" Sniper didn't have anything else to say. "Okay,"

He turned to the door of Scout's room, turning the handle and opening it. Before he left, Scout called again from behind him.

"Sorry,"

Sniper almost responded, but chose to say nothing. He left silently, heading outside.

He headed to the camper, where Spy was waiting.

Spy lit another cigarette as Sniper approached, and Sniper asked him, "Did you put Dee down for a nap?"

"Yes, I did," Spy answered. "How did the mission with Scout go?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Sniper sighed, getting in. "Let's just get this over with. Have you got the map?"

Spy pulled the folded map from his coat pocket. "Oui,"

"And you're sure this is where the Di'Angelos went?"

"Oui,"

Sniper took a breath. "Okay— let's do this,"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

The sun went down. Everything was dark, and Sniper and Spy had not returned.

An old romance movie played on the TV, but Scout hardly paid attention to it as he sat on the floor with Dee. She seemed antsy without Sniper there, and Scout could tell.

"He's coming back," Scout assured Dee softly, watching as she chewed on a plush whale while she laid across his lap. She whimpered a little, and Scout stroked her soft head.

"How is she?" Engineer asked as he entered the room. "Has she eaten? Did you give her the bottle like I said?"

Scout nodded. "Yeah,"

"Good," he reached down and scooped Dee right up, much to Scout's dismay. "Spy just called, they're on their way back,"

Scout breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, awesome! Did he say what happened?"

"Nope," Engineer replied, handing Dee back to Scout. "Here, I think she likes you better than me,"

"Oh," Scout took her back, watching as she wrapped her tiny hand around his dog tags and pulled on them gently. "Huh. You think so?"

"I sure do!" Engineer got up and left the room, calling back, "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes,"

Dee started to put one of the dog tags in her mouth, but Scout stopped her. "Nah, you don't wanna do that. Trust me, they don't taste good,"

Later that evening, Scout sat outside with Dee on his lap again. She was sleeping now, but Scout wanted her to be there when Sniper returned.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bright lights of the camper came shimmering into the dark night, and Scout's heart began to race. He rose up, with Dee in his arms, and he ran to the vehicle.

Sniper stepped out, and the moment he saw Scout, he threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly, right before he realized Dee was there.

"There she is," he remarked, breathlessly. He took Dee into his arms as she slowly awoke, and he kissed her little head. "Did you miss me, lil' beastie? I told you I'd be back,"

Dee blinked a few times, realizing who it was, and she gave Sniper a big, toothless grin before cuddling into his neck.

Scout smiled back up at Sniper, and it was then that he noticed the horrible bruise on Sniper's jaw. "Geez, man! What happened to you!?"

"It's nothin'," Sniper assured. "Let's just say I got into a spat with Dee's 'grandad' once I found out he was the one who threw her out,"

"Did you kill 'im?" Scout asked, excitedly.

Sniper chuckled. "What do you think?"

They shared a laugh, and then Scout cleared his throat. "Listen…I'm sorry about…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Sniper replied, patting Scout's shoulder. "It's okay, really. Thanks for looking after Dee,"

Scout cracked a smile up at him. "Sure thing,"

Spy hopped out of the camper, lighting a cigarette. "Gentlemen, let's get inside. I have some wine I've been waiting to open with everyone,"

As everyone headed back inside, Dee wrapped her hands around the collar of Sniper's shirt, and she made more happy cooing sounds up at him.

Sniper paused in his tracks, pressing Dee a bit closer and kissing her head once more. "I love you too, Dee,"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

It was a gloomy day, the kind of day where no one wanted to go outside or do anything. Even though it was a rare day off, no one felt like doing a thing.

Sniper lay on the couch, staring up at the ceiling in silence with a beer bottle clutched in his hand. Beside him lay Dee, now almost a year old, who was babbling nonsense while messing with a plastic cup.

After a few minutes, she turned her head towards Sniper and exclaimed, "Bah!"

Sniper turned to look at her. "Hm?"

"Bah!" She repeated as if she really wanted him to understand.

Sniper realized what she was referring to after a moment, and then he turned towards the coffee table. "Oh, okay. Your bottle's right here, beastie,"

He handed her the bottle, which she eagerly accepted and began to drink from. She could hold the bottle by herself, now, and while it was a good sight to see, Sniper felt it was also somewhat bittersweet. She didn't need him as much anymore…

Just as he had that thought, Dee adjusted her position so she could lay her head directly on him, still slurping quietly on the bottle. Sniper couldn't help but grin, and he leaned down to kiss her head. "Oh, you precious little thing," he remarked quietly, touching the thick tufts of hair on her head.

Dee looked up at him, and she smiled around her bottle, pulling off and exclaiming, "Papa!" It wasn't the first time she'd said it, and her speech was a bit garbled but it never failed to make Sniper tear up a bit when he heard it.

"God, I love you, Dee," He cooed softly, lifting Dee up a bit more and hugging her close.

"Papa, Papa, Papa…" Dee chanted, shaking her bottle in her hand and whining when she couldn't quite bring it to her mouth.

"Oops, sorry," Sniper pulled off, watching as Dee brought the bottle to her mouth and continued to drink eagerly.

Just then, Scout poked his head into the room, saying, "Yo, Snipes! The phone's for you!"

Sniper tilted his head, a bit confused. "Really? Hm, okay," he stood up, taking Dee with him and heading to the base's telephone.

He answered; it was just Miss Pauling, telling him that his adoption of Dee was in fact confirmed. Finally, he was legally Dee's father.

"Thank you," he grinned as he hung up the phone, and he turned to kiss Dee again. She smiled at him, showing off a little tooth she'd been growing for a while.

Sniper watched Dee for a long moment, and then he turned back to the phone, dialing that familiar number. He held the receiver to his ear, hearing nothing but beeps and static, and that automated voice telling him that the person he was trying to reach was currently unavailable. Nevertheless, Sniper cleared his throat and began speaking.

"Hey, Mum, Dad…" he swallowed, adjusting Dee in his arms. "I just thought I'd let you guys now that Dee's been officially adopted by me. She's growin' so fast, you would not believe it,"

Dee babbled more nonsense, and Sniper just caressed her back. "Mum, I know you'd say she's getting so gorgeous, but she's always been gorgeous. Even in the dumpster," he chuckled. "Dad, I know you'd probably go off on me for getting into the trash, all those germs and disease, and whatnot…but honestly, she's worth it, believe me,"

The only answer was that voice, repeating over and over, "The caller you are trying to reach is currently unavailable at this time. Please hang up and try again," followed by the static and beeping.

Sniper swallowed past the lump in his throat, closing with, "Well, I love you both. So does Dee. I'll talk to you later,"

He hung up, and Dee dropped her bottle on the ground.

"Uh-oh!" Dee exclaimed, pointing to it.

"Oh, yeah. Uh-oh," he blinked through his misty eyes, kneeling to grab the bottle. "All done with this, beastie?"

Dee whined and reached for it, but Sniper just chuckled. "Ah, girlie— it's empty. Let's get you a new one,"

He headed for the kitchen, with Dee leaning against his shoulder while his hand stroked her back.


End file.
